Systems and methods for estimating vehicle speed and hence driving behavior using accelerometer data during periods of intermittent GPS

ABSTRACT

A system estimates the speed of a moving vehicle and hence the driving behavior of an individual driving the vehicle using accelerometer data when GPS is intermittent, unavailable, or inaccurate. To do so, the system may first determine time periods when GPS data is not available. For each time period, the system may analyze the accelerometer data to find idling points when the vehicle is not moving. Based on the idling points, the system may divide each time period into segments. The system may then determine the speed of the vehicle at the boundary points of each segment. For each segment, the system may analyze the accelerometer data to determine the acceleration of the vehicle for points when the vehicle is moving. Subsequently, the system may calculate the speed of the vehicle for the points when the vehicle is moving based on the acceleration of the vehicle at those points and the speed of the vehicle at the boundary points.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates generally to vehicle insurance and, morespecifically, to systems and methods for estimating vehicle speed andhence driving behavior during periods of intermittent GPS for insurancerating purposes.

BACKGROUND

Many insurance companies offer usage-based vehicle insurance whereinsurance ratings and premiums are determined based on a driver'svehicle usage. An important usage factor is vehicle speed or how fastthe driver is driving. Various means can be used to determine the speedof a vehicle. For example, monitoring devices that interface with theon-board diagnostic port of the vehicle can be used to monitor thevehicle speed. Other systems rely on Global Positioning System (GPS)technology that is either built into the vehicle or from the use of GPSsensors on a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone). Still other systemsmake use of accelerometer sensors in mobile devices to estimate thespeed of the vehicle. However, monitoring devices can be expensive orrequire expert installation, while GPS may not be available all the timeor even accurate in some situations (e.g., during low speeds). Further,mobile device-based GPS can be a significant drain on the batteries ofthe mobile device. On the other hand, accelerometer-based methods can bemore cost effective than on-board monitoring devices and use less energythan some GPS solutions.

SUMMARY

The features and advantages described in this summary and the followingdetailed description are not all-inclusive. Many additional features andadvantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in viewof the drawings, specification, and claims hereof. Additionally, otherembodiments may omit one or more (or all) of the features and advantagesdescribed in this summary.

A computer-implemented method for determining vehicle speed duringperiods of intermittent GPS may include receiving, via a computernetwork, GPS data and accelerometer data corresponding to a drivingsession of a vehicle. The method may also determine, by one or moreprocessors, if the GPS data is available for the entire driving session.The method may further determine, by one or more processors, one or moretime periods during the driving session when the GPS data is notavailable. For each of the one or more time periods when the GPS data isdetermined to be unavailable, the method may analyze, by one or moreprocessors, the accelerometer data received during that period todetermine idling points when the vehicle is not moving. The method maythen divide, by one or more processors, each of the one or more timeperiods into one or more segments based on the determined idling pointsfor each time period. For each of the one or more segments in each ofthe one or more time periods, the method may: i) determine, by one ormore processors, speed of the vehicle at boundary points of eachsegment; ii) analyze, by one or more processors, the accelerometer datato determine acceleration of the vehicle in the longitudinal directionfor points when the vehicle is moving; and iii) calculate, by one ormore processors, speed of the vehicle for the points when the vehicle ismoving based on the acceleration of the vehicle at those points and thespeed of the vehicle at the boundary points. Finally, the method maydetermine, by one or more processors, a driving behavior based on atleast the calculated speed of the vehicle at the points when the vehicleis moving in each of the one or more segments in each of the one or moretime periods when the GPS data is not available or accurate.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includingcomputer-readable instructions to be executed on one or more processorsof a computing device for determining vehicle speed during periods ofintermittent GPS. The instructions when executed, may cause the one ormore processors to receive, via a computer network, GPS data andaccelerometer data corresponding to a driving session of a vehicle. Theinstructions when executed, may also cause the one or more processors todetermine if the GPS data is available for the entire driving session.The instructions when executed, may further cause the one or moreprocessors to determine one or more time periods during the drivingsession when the GPS data is not available. For each of the one or moretime periods when the GPS data is determined to be unavailable, theinstructions when executed, may cause the one or more processors toanalyze the accelerometer data received during that period to determineidling points when the vehicle is not moving. The instructions whenexecuted, may then cause the one or more processors to divide each ofthe one or more time periods into one or more segments based on thedetermined idling points for each time period. For each of the one ormore segments in each of the one or more time periods, the instructionswhen executed, may cause the one or more processors to: i) determinespeed of the vehicle at boundary points of each segment; ii) analyze theaccelerometer data to determine acceleration of the vehicle in thelongitudinal direction for points when the vehicle is moving; and iii)calculate speed of the vehicle for the points when the vehicle is movingbased on the acceleration of the vehicle at those points and the speedof the vehicle at the boundary points. Finally, the instructions whenexecuted, may determine a driving behavior based on at least thecalculated speed of the vehicle at the points when the vehicle is movingin each of the one or more segments in each of the one or more timeperiods when the GPS data is not available or accurate.

A system for determining vehicle speed during periods of intermittentGPS may comprise a data repository and a server that includes a memoryhaving instructions for execution on one or more processors. Theinstructions when executed by the one or more processors, may cause theserver to receive, via a computer network, GPS data and accelerometerdata corresponding to a driving session of a vehicle. The instructionswhen executed by the one or more processors, may also cause the serverto store the GPS data and the accelerometer data in the data repository.Further, the instructions when executed by the one or more processors,may cause the server to determine if the GPS data is available for theentire driving session. Still further, the instructions when executed bythe one or more processors, may cause the server to determine one ormore time periods during the driving session when the GPS data is notavailable. For each of the one or more time periods when the GPS data isdetermined to be unavailable, the instructions when executed by the oneor more processors, may cause the server to analyze the accelerometerdata received during that period to determine idling points when thevehicle is not moving. The instructions when executed by the one or moreprocessors, may then cause the server to divide each of the one or moretime periods into one or more segments based on the determined idlingpoints for each time period. For each of the one or more segments ineach of the one or more time periods, the instructions when executed bythe one or more processors, may cause the server to: i) determine speedof the vehicle at boundary points of each segment; ii) analyze theaccelerometer data to determine acceleration of the vehicle in thelongitudinal direction for points when the vehicle is moving; and iii)calculate speed of the vehicle for the points when the vehicle is movingbased on the acceleration of the vehicle at those points and the speedof the vehicle at the boundary points. Finally, the instructions whenexecuted by the one or more processors, may cause the server todetermine a driving behavior based on at least the calculated speed ofthe vehicle at the points when the vehicle is moving in each of the oneor more segments in each of the one or more time periods when the GPSdata is not available or accurate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example system for estimating vehiclespeed and hence driving behavior using accelerometer data during periodsof intermittent GPS.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an example method for estimating vehiclespeed and hence driving behavior using accelerometer data during periodsof intermittent GPS.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a computing environment that implements asystem and method for estimating vehicle speed and hence drivingbehavior using accelerometer data during periods of intermittent GPS.

The figures depict a preferred embodiment of the present invention forpurposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readilyrecognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments ofthe structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed withoutdeparting from the principles of the invention described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For usage-based vehicle insurance, the speed of a vehicle is animportant usage factor for insurance rating purposes. GPS technology isoften employed to determine the speed of the vehicle. GPS is anavigation system that provides position and time information to nearlyany place on Earth. By updating the position over time, GPS can alsosupply speed and directional information. However, due to signalobstructions, GPS may not be available all the time. Intermittent GPSrefers to situations where GPS signals may be lost or appearinfrequently. Further, intermittent GPS may refer to situations wherethere is inadequate precision. For example, if the quality of the GPS islow, then any speed calculated based the received GPS will not beaccurate. In these cases, alternative methods need to be used in orderto obtain information on the speed of the vehicle.

Generally speaking, the disclosed system estimates the speed of a movingvehicle during periods of intermittent GPS by using data from anaccelerometer sensor that measures the acceleration of the vehicle. Inthis manner, the disclosed system is able to provide a reliable,accurate and efficient means for estimating vehicle speed even whenthere is insufficient GPS. The estimated vehicle speed can then be usedto determine the driving behavior of an individual driving the vehiclefor insurance rating purposes.

Referring first to FIG. 1, which is a block diagram of an example system100 for estimating vehicle speed and hence driving behavior usingaccelerometer data during periods of intermittent GPS. The examplesystem 100 includes a mobile device 102 having a processor 104, a memory106, a user interface 108 (e.g., a display screen, a touchscreen, akeyboard, etc.), a communication unit 110, and an accelerometer sensor112. The mobile device 102 may be a smartphone, a tablet computer, apersonal digital assistant, a wearable computer, or any other mobilecomputing device.

The mobile device 102 may be communicatively connected to a vehicle 114(e.g., a car). In particular, the mobile device 102 may use thecommunication unit 110 to connect to the vehicle 114 over a wirelesslink 116. As such, the vehicle 114 may be equipped with an on-boardcomputer 118 having a processor 120, a memory 122, an on-boardcommunication unit 124 and a GPS unit 126. Of course, the on-boardcomputer 118 may include or interface with other components in thevehicle 114 such as vehicle sensors (e.g., braking sensor, speedometer,etc.), speakers, displays, etc. In some embodiments, the on-boardcomputer 118 may be installed in the vehicle 114 by the vehiclemanufacturer, while in other embodiments, the on-board computer 118 maybe an aftermarket on-board computer system.

Generally, the connection between the mobile device 102 and the vehicle114 involves short range wireless communication. In the embodiment ofFIG. 1, short range wireless communication may be implemented usingBluetooth, although other technologies (e.g., near field communication(NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), etc.) can also be used.When using Bluetooth, the on-board communication unit 124 may transmit aunique identification number (e.g., a media access control (MAC) addressassociated with the on-board computer 118 in the vehicle 114) over thewireless link 116. If the mobile device 102 is within range of thetransmission, the communication unit 110 may receive the uniqueidentification number and compare that number to a list of storedidentification numbers. If a match is found, then the mobile device 102may identify and connect to the vehicle 114. If desired, newidentification numbers may be added to the list of stored identificationnumbers. This allows the mobile device 102 to identify and connect tonew vehicles. Additionally, a user can manually connect the mobiledevice 102 to a particular vehicle by selecting an identification numberassociated with the particular vehicle from the list of storedidentification numbers.

In operation, a driver may bring the mobile device 102 to the vehicle114 when the driver decides to start a driving session (i.e., when thedriver decides to drive the vehicle 114 from one location to another).Once the driver turns on the vehicle 114, the communication unit 110 ofthe mobile device 102 may communicate over the wireless link 116 withthe on-board communication unit 124 to identify and connect to thevehicle 114 by using, for example, Bluetooth. The driver may terminatethe connection between the mobile device 102 and the vehicle 114 byturning off the vehicle 114 at the end of the driving session.

During the driving session, the on-board computer 118 may activate theGPS unit 126 to acquire GPS signals used to determine the speed of thevehicle 114. The GPS signals may be acquired at regular intervals (e.g.,every second) and stored as GPS data 122A in the memory 122. However,GPS signals may not be available all the time. For example, in tunnelsand underground roads, GPS signals may be obstructed leading to the lossof GPS. Moreover, in certain coverage areas, GPS signals may appearinfrequently or sporadically (e.g., low frequency GPS data). Thus,during the driving session, the on-board computer 118 may alsocommunicate with the connected mobile device 102 to use theaccelerometer sensor 112 to obtain acceleration/deceleration informationabout the vehicle 114 (from which speed can be derived). Theacceleration of the vehicle 114 may be obtained at regular intervals(e.g., every second) and transmitted to the on-board computer 118 fromthe mobile device 102 via the wireless link 116. Once received, theon-board computer 118 may store this information as accelerometer data122B in the memory 122. The accelerometer data 122B may be used toestimate or calculate the speed of the vehicle 114 during periods whenthe GPS data 122A becomes intermittent or unavailable.

The on-board computer 118 may transmit the data 122A, 122B to a server130 via a network 132 (e.g., the Internet, a wide area network, a mobilenetwork, a private network, etc.). The server 130 may be part of aninsurance provider, for example. The server 130 may be a single serveror a plurality of servers with distributed processing. A data repository134 may be coupled to the server 130. However, in some embodiments, thedata repository 134 may not be directly coupled to the server 130, butinstead may be accessible by the server 130 via a network such as thenetwork 132. Data received from the on-board computer 118 may be storedin the data repository 134 as either GPS data 134A or accelerometer data134B depending on the type of data received. A processor 136 of theserver 130 may execute instructions stored in a memory 138 of the server130 to retrieve and analyze the data 134A, 134B in order to calculatethe speed of the vehicle 114. The determined vehicle speed may befurther processed by the server 130 to driving behaviors for insurancerating purposes (e.g., determine an insurance policy premium for thedriver of the vehicle 114 based on how fast the driver is usuallydriving).

In some embodiments, the processor 120 of the on-board computer 118 mayexecute instructions stored in the memory 122 to process the data 122A,122B to calculate the speed of the vehicle 114. The on-board computer118 may then transmit the determined vehicle speed to the server 130 forsubsequent use in insurance ratings.

In some embodiments, the mobile device 102 may collect and send data tothe server 130. In this scenario, the mobile device 102 may acquire GPSsignals from either the GPS unit 126 (sent over the wireless link 116),or a GPS sensor in the mobile device 102 (not shown). The mobile device102 may store any obtained GPS signals as GPS data 106A in the memory106. In addition, the mobile device 102 may store data from theaccelerometer sensor 112 as accelerometer data 106B in the memory 106.The mobile device 102 may then transmit the data 106A, 106B, via thenetwork 132, to the server 130 for storage and processing. Alternativelyor additionally, the processor 104 of the mobile device 102 may executeinstructions stored in the memory 106 to analyze the data 106A, 106B anddetermine the speed of the vehicle 114 before transmitting thedetermined vehicle speed to the server 130.

As can be seen from the above the discussion, the system 100 drasticallyimproves the process by which vehicle speed is determined when GPS datais not available. For example, instead of making assumptions toguesstimate the speed of vehicle during periods when GPS is intermittentor unavailable, the system 100 can calculate the speed of the vehicleduring those periods without the need for any additional computingequipment. In this manner, the resource usage or consumption of thesystem 100 can be greatly reduced. Further, by accurately determiningthe speed of the vehicle during periods with no GPS data, the system 100can help to improve the process by which insurance ratings based onvehicle speed are determined for usage-based vehicle insurance.

Referring now to FIG. 2, which describes a flow diagram of an examplemethod 200 for estimating vehicle speed and hence driving behavior usingaccelerometer data during periods of intermittent GPS. The method 200may include one or more blocks, routines or functions in the form ofcomputer executable instructions that are stored in a tangiblecomputer-readable medium (e.g., 138, 122, 106 of FIG. 1) and executedusing a processor (e.g., 136, 120, 104 of FIG. 1).

The method 200 begins by receiving GPS data and accelerometer datacorresponding to a driving session of a vehicle (block 202). The GPSdata includes position, speed, and time information related to themovement of the vehicle during the driving session. The GPS data may beobtained from a device capable of receiving GPS signals (e.g., the GPSunit 126 of FIG. 1). The accelerometer data includes information relatedto the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle during the drivingsession. The accelerometer data may be obtained from an accelerometersensor in a mobile device (e.g., the accelerometer sensor 112 of FIG.1). Generally, the GPS and accelerometer data may be received via anetwork (e.g., the network 132 of FIG. 1) at regular intervals (e.g.,every second, every 30 seconds, every minute, etc.).

The method 200 then determines if the received GPS data is available forthe entire driving session (block 204). If sufficient and accurate GPSis available throughout the driving session, then the speed of thevehicle can be determined by simply analyzing the GPS data alone.However, as discussed earlier, GPS may not be available all the time.For example, if the vehicle is traveling through a tunnel during thedriving session, then GPS signals may be obstructed and lost. As aresult, no GPS data will be received during the time when the vehicle ismoving through the tunnel. As another example, if the vehicle istraveling in an area that has spotty GPS coverage during the drivingsession, then GPS signals may appear infrequently or sporadically. As aresult, only a limited amount of GPS data will be received during thetime when the vehicle is moving through the area of spotty coverage. Asa further example, the received GPS signals may be of poor quality orinaccurate. As a result, any calculated speed based the GPS signalswould be inaccurate as well. In these situations, the method 200 maydetermine that no GPS data is available or that the GPS data isinaccurate.

Next, the method 200 determines time periods during the driving sessionwhen the GPS data is not available (block 206). There may be one or moretime periods during the driving session when the GPS data isunavailable. To determine the beginning of a particular time period, themethod 200 may compare the times when the GPS data and the accelerometerdata are received. For example, if no GPS data is received for severalintervals but accelerometer data is still received during thoseintervals, then the time when the method 200 first stops receiving theGPS data may be indicative of the beginning of the particular timeperiod when GPS data becomes unavailable. Similarly, the end of theparticular time period may be determined when the method 200 againstarts to receive the GPS data in conjunction with the accelerometerdata.

For each of the time periods that the method 200 determines as having noGPS data, the method 200 analyzes the accelerometer data received duringthat period to determine idling points when the vehicle is not moving(block 208). To determine the idling points, the method 200 may utilizeany of the techniques discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/277,867, the entire disclosure of which is hereby expresslyincorporated by reference herein. As a brief example, the method 200 maydetermine an idling point by measuring the total variance in theaccelerometer data at various time stamps. Generally, accelerometers mayrecord acceleration in three axes: x-axis (lateral), y-axis(longitudinal) and z-axis (force of gravity). The total variance is thesum of the variances from the three axes. Once the total variance isknown, the method 200 may normalize the total variance at the varioustime stamps, and then test if the normalized total variance is below acertain threshold. If the normalized total variance at a given timestamp is below the certain threshold, then the method 200 may tag thattime stamp as a vehicle idling point.

The method 200 then proceeds to divide each of the time periods that hasno GPS data into segments based on the determined idling points for eachtime period (block 210). For example, if the method 200 did not find anyidling point in block 208 for a given time period with no GPS data, thenthere is only one segment (i.e., the segment corresponds to the entiretime period itself). In this segment, the vehicle was in constant motionand did not stop or idle at any time. On the other hand, if idlingpoints were found for a given time period with no GPS data, then themethod 200 may divide the time period based on the found idling points.In an example scenario of two idling points, the method 200 may dividethe time period into three segments. The first segment may represent atime before the vehicle stopped moving at the first identified idlingpoint. The second segment may represent a time when the vehicle wasmoving between the first and second identified idling points. The thirdsegment may represent a time after the vehicle started to move againsubsequent to the second identified idling point. Of course, more idlingpoints will generate more segments that represent the movement of thevehicle before, after or between the various idling points.

The method 200 then determines the speed of the vehicle at boundarypoints for each segment (block 212). Generally, each segment is definedby two boundary points. Using the above example, the boundary points forthe first segment may be defined by a beginning point for the timeperiod with no GPS data (i.e., the point in which the method 200 stopsreceiving GPS data) and the first idling point. The boundary points forthe second segment may be defined by the two identified idling points.The boundary points for the third segment may be defined by the secondidling point and an end point for the time period with no GPS data(i.e., the point in which the method 200 starts to receive GPS dataagain). For an idling point, the speed of the vehicle may be estimatedor assumed to be zero. For a beginning point of the time period with noGPS data, the speed of the vehicle may be determined by analyzing thelast available GPS data that was received. Similarly, for an end pointof the time period with no GPS data, the speed of the vehicle may bedetermined by analyzing the first available GPS data that is once againbeing received.

Generally, the speed of the vehicle need not be determined for all theboundary points of a given segment. In some embodiments, the speed ofthe vehicle may be determined at only one of the boundary points.

For each segment, the method 200 also analyzes the accelerometer data todetermine the acceleration of the vehicle in the longitudinal directionfor points when the vehicle is moving (block 214). Here, once a segmentand its boundary points are identified, the method 200 may analyze thereceived or available accelerometer data for the segment to determinethe acceleration of the vehicle for all points in that segment for whichthe vehicle is in motion.

As discussed earlier, accelerometers may record data in the x-axis foracceleration/deceleration in the lateral direction, the y-axis foracceleration/deceleration in the longitudinal direction, and the z-axisfor acceleration/deceleration due to the force of gravity. Accordingly,the method 200 may analyze the accelerometer data to separate outacceleration/deceleration in the different directions. Moreparticularly, the method 200 may determine the acceleration in thelongitudinal direction as this relates to the forward (or backward)movement of the vehicle. To determine the longitudinal acceleration ofthe vehicle, the method 200 may utilize any of the techniques discussedin U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/277,882, the entire disclosure ofwhich is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.

For each segment, the method 200 then calculates the speed of thevehicle for the points when the vehicle is moving based on theacceleration of the vehicle at those points and the speed of the vehicleat the boundary points (block 216). In particular, the method 200calculates the speed in each segment by solving a least-squaresminimization or regression problem. To set up the analysis for theleast-squares minimization problem, it is required that the speed of thevehicle is known for at least one point in each segment. For example,the speed of the vehicle should be known at one of the boundary points.However, more accurate results are obtained if the speed of the vehicleis known at two points (e.g., at both of the boundary points). Thisconstraint anchors the speed to known values at two locations andprevents small errors in the accelerometer data from causing thecalculated speed to continuously drift.

Without using a least-squares regression analysis (or some other methodof minimizing the sum of the error), bad estimates of the speed mayresult as one moves further away from the boundary points. Aleast-squares regression analysis also ensures that there are not manylarge jumps speed values. Further, a least-squares regression analysiscan provide the option of giving some accelerometer points more weightthan others. For example, an average one second accelerometer readingcan be given more weight depending on how many samples were retrievedduring that second. When the sample rate is low (e.g., 1 Hz), lessweight can be given when minimizing the error. On the other hand, whenthe sample rate is high (e.g., 20 Hz), more weight can be given. In thismanner, outlier accelerometer reading will not affect the calculation ofthe speed.

Next, a time derivative matrix D is constructed such that when D ismultiplied by some vector {right arrow over (u)} containing a timeseries, D{right arrow over (u)} represents the numerical time derivativeof {right arrow over (u)}. Then letting {right arrow over (a)} representthe longitudinal acceleration (as determined in block 214) and {rightarrow over (v)} represent the speed of the vehicle at various points intime, the sum of squared error expression ∥D{right arrow over(v)}-{right arrow over (a)}∥₂ is minimized with respect to {right arrowover (v)}. The constraint that at least one element of {right arrow over(v)} is known is imposed on the least-squares minimization problem.

A typical solution for the least-squares minimization problem mayinvolve linear constraints. In particular, a matrix Q is defined to havethe same number of rows as are in {right arrow over (v)} with thefollowing structure:

$Q = {\begin{pmatrix}1 & 0 \\0 & 0 \\0 & 0 \\\ldots & \ldots \\0 & 0 \\0 & 0 \\0 & 1\end{pmatrix}.}$

Finally, by defining known speed points in a vector

${\overset{\rightarrow}{c} = \begin{pmatrix}v_{B\; 1} \\v_{B\; 2}\end{pmatrix}},$where v_(B1) and v_(B2) represent the known speeds at the boundarypoints, the method 200 can compute an analytical solution to determinethe speed of the vehicle {right arrow over (v)} by solving the followingequation:{right arrow over (v)}=(D ^(T) D)⁻¹ D ^(T) {right arrow over (a)}−(D^(T) D)⁻¹ Q(Q ^(T)(D ^(T) D)⁻¹ Q)⁻¹(Q ^(T)(D ^(T) D)⁻¹ D ^(T) {rightarrow over (a)}−{right arrow over (c)}).

Once the speed of the vehicle is determined, the method 200 may use thedetermined speed for insurance rating purposes. To this effect, themethod 200 may include additional blocks not shown in FIG. 2. Forexample, the method 200 may include a block that determines one or moredriving behaviors or patterns based the determined vehicle speed and useat least this information to determine a vehicle insurance risk.Further, the method 200 may use the determined driving behaviors orpatterns to determine one or more driving characteristics of a driverassociated with the vehicle. The method 200 may also determine a risklevel for the driver by using any of the determined drivingcharacteristics and/or driving behaviors or patterns. The method 200 maythen determine one or more insurance premiums based on the determinedrisk level.

Alternatively or additionally, the method 200 may receive one or more ofGPS data or accelerometer data. Here, the method 200 may calculate thespeed of the vehicle even when no GPS data is received. Moreparticularly, if no GPS data is received, the method 200 may analyze theaccelerometer data received during the entire driving session todetermine idling points when the vehicle is not moving and thencalculate the speed of the vehicle between all know idling points. Inother words, GPS data is optional and the time period during which GPSis not available would be entire driving session. Of course, if GPS datais received, the method 200 may determine if the GPS data is availableor accurate for the entirety of the driving session.

Using the system 100 and the method 200, the speed of a moving vehiclemay be estimated or calculated using accelerometer data during periodsof intermittent GPS. The determined vehicle speed can be used todetermine driving behaviors for insurance rating purposes in usage-basedvehicle insurance. However, applications for such systems and methodsare not limited to the field of vehicle insurance. Applications in otherfields or industries may include determining vehicle speed fornavigation purposes, for traffic control purposes, and the like.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example computing environment for asystem 300 having a computing device 301 that may be used to implementthe systems and methods described herein. The computing device 301 maybe a mobile computing device (e.g., smart phone, a tablet, aWi-Fi-enabled device, etc.), an on-board vehicle computer, or othertypes of computing devices. Processor systems similar or identical tothe example system 300 may be used to implement and execute the examplesystem of FIG. 1, the method of FIG. 2, and the like. Although thesystem 300 is described below as including a plurality of peripherals,interfaces, chips, memories, etc., one or more of those elements may beomitted from other example processor systems used to implement andexecute the example system 100. Also, other components may be added.

As shown in FIG. 3, the computing device 301 includes a processor 302that is coupled to an interconnection bus 304. The processor 302includes a register set or register space 306, which is depicted in FIG.3 as being entirely on-chip, but which could alternatively be locatedentirely or partially off-chip and directly coupled to the processor 302via dedicated electrical connections and/or via the interconnection bus304. The processor 302 may be any suitable processor, processing unit ormicroprocessor. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the computing device 301may be a multi-processor device and, thus, may include one or moreadditional processors that are identical or similar to the processor 302and that are communicatively coupled to the interconnection bus 304.

The processor 302 of FIG. 3 is coupled to a chipset 308, which includesa memory controller 310 and a peripheral input/output (I/O) controller312. As is well known, a chipset typically provides I/O and memorymanagement functions as well as a plurality of general purpose and/orspecial purpose registers, timers, etc. that are accessible or used byone or more processors coupled to the chipset 308. The memory controller310 performs functions that enable the processor 302 (or processors ifthere are multiple processors) to access a system memory 314 and a massstorage memory 316, that may include either or both of an in-memorycache (e.g., a cache within the memory 314) or an on-disk cache (e.g., acache within the mass storage memory 316).

The system memory 314 may include any desired type of volatile and/ornon-volatile memory such as, for example, static random access memory(SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), flash memory, read-onlymemory (ROM), etc. The mass storage memory 316 may include any desiredtype of mass storage device. For example, if the computing device 301 isused to implement an application 318 having an API 319 (includingfunctions and instructions as described by the method 200 of FIG. 2).The mass storage memory 316 may include a hard disk drive, an opticaldrive, a tape storage device, a solid-state memory (e.g., a flashmemory, a RAM memory, etc.), a magnetic memory (e.g., a hard drive), orany other memory suitable for mass storage. As used herein, the termsmodule, block, function, operation, procedure, routine, step, and methodrefer to tangible computer program logic or tangible computer executableinstructions that provide the specified functionality to the computingdevice 301 and the system 300. Thus, a module, block, function,operation, procedure, routine, step, and method can be implemented inhardware, firmware, and/or software. In one embodiment, program modulesand routines (e.g., the application 318, the API 319, etc.) are storedin mass storage memory 316, loaded into system memory 314, and executedby a processor 302 or can be provided from computer program productsthat are stored in tangible computer-readable storage mediums (e.g.,RAM, hard disk, optical/magnetic media, etc.).

The peripheral I/O controller 310 performs functions that enable theprocessor 302 to communicate with peripheral input/output (I/O) devices322 and 324, a network interface 326, a local network transceiver 327, acellular network transceiver 328, and a GPS transceiver 329 via thenetwork interface 326. The I/O devices 322 and 324 may be any desiredtype of I/O device such as, for example, a keyboard, a display (e.g., aliquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, etc.), anavigation device (e.g., a mouse, a trackball, a capacitive touch pad, ajoystick, etc.), etc. The cellular telephone transceiver 328 may beresident with the local network transceiver 327. The local networktransceiver 327 may include support for a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth,infrared or other wireless data transmission protocols. In otherembodiments, one element may simultaneously support each of the variouswireless protocols employed by the computing device 301. For example, asoftware-defined radio may be able to support multiple protocols viadownloadable instructions. In operation, the computing device 301 may beable to periodically poll for visible wireless network transmitters(both cellular and local network) on a periodic basis. Such polling maybe possible even while normal wireless traffic is being supported on thecomputing device 301. The network interface 326 may be, for example, anEthernet device, an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) device, an 802.11wireless interface device, a DSL modem, a cable modem, a cellular modem,etc., that enables the system 100 to communicate with another computersystem having at least the elements described in relation to the system100.

While the memory controller 312 and the I/O controller 310 are depictedin FIG. 3 as separate functional blocks within the chipset 308, thefunctions performed by these blocks may be integrated within a singleintegrated circuit or may be implemented using two or more separateintegrated circuits. The system 300 may also implement the application318 on remote computing devices 330 and 332. The remote computingdevices 330 and 332 may communicate with the computing device 301 overan Ethernet link 334. In some embodiments, the application 318 may beretrieved by the computing device 301 from a cloud computing server 336via the Internet 338. When using the cloud computing server 336, theretrieved application 318 may be programmatically linked with thecomputing device 301. The application 318 may be a Java® appletexecuting within a Java® Virtual Machine (JVM) environment resident inthe computing device 301 or the remote computing devices 330, 332. Theapplication 318 may also be “plug-ins” adapted to execute in aweb-browser located on the computing devices 301, 330, and 332. Further,the application 318 may be adapted to execute in a web-browser usingJavaScript. In some embodiments, the application 318 may communicatewith a backend component 340 such as the server 130 via the Internet338.

The system 300 may include but is not limited to any combination of aLAN, a MAN, a WAN, a mobile, a wired or wireless network, a privatenetwork, or a virtual private network. Moreover, while only two remotecomputing devices 330 and 332 are illustrated in FIG. 3 to simplify andclarify the description, it is understood that any number of clientcomputers are supported and can be in communication within the system300.

Additionally, certain embodiments are described herein as includinglogic or a number of components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules mayconstitute either software modules (e.g., code or instructions embodiedon a machine-readable medium or in a transmission signal, wherein thecode is executed by a processor) or hardware modules. A hardware moduleis tangible unit capable of performing certain operations and may beconfigured or arranged in a certain manner. In example embodiments, oneor more computer systems (e.g., a standalone, client or server computersystem) or one or more hardware modules of a computer system (e.g., aprocessor or a group of processors) may be configured by software (e.g.,an application or application portion) as a hardware module thatoperates to perform certain operations as described herein.

In various embodiments, a hardware module may be implementedmechanically or electronically. For example, a hardware module maycomprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured(e.g., as a special-purpose processor, such as a field programmable gatearray (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) toperform certain operations. A hardware module may also compriseprogrammable logic or circuitry (e.g., as encompassed within ageneral-purpose processor or other programmable processor) that istemporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. Itwill be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware modulemechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or intemporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may bedriven by cost and time considerations.

Accordingly, the term “hardware module” should be understood toencompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physicallyconstructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarilyconfigured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or toperform certain operations described herein. As used herein,“hardware-implemented module” refers to a hardware module. Consideringembodiments in which hardware modules are temporarily configured (e.g.,programmed), each of the hardware modules need not be configured orinstantiated at any one instance in time. For example, where thehardware modules comprise a general-purpose processor configured usingsoftware, the general-purpose processor may be configured as respectivedifferent hardware modules at different times. Software may accordinglyconfigure a processor, for example, to constitute a particular hardwaremodule at one instance of time and to constitute a different hardwaremodule at a different instance of time.

Hardware modules can provide information to, and receive informationfrom, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the described hardwaremodules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multipleof such hardware modules exist contemporaneously, communications may beachieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuitsand buses) that connect the hardware modules. In embodiments in whichmultiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated at differenttimes, communications between such hardware modules may be achieved, forexample, through the storage and retrieval of information in memorystructures to which the multiple hardware modules have access. Forexample, one hardware module may perform an operation and store theoutput of that operation in a memory device to which it iscommunicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at a latertime, access the memory device to retrieve and process the storedoutput. Hardware modules may also initiate communications with input oroutput devices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection ofinformation).

The various operations of example methods described herein may beperformed, at least partially, by one or more processors that aretemporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured toperform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanentlyconfigured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modulesthat operate to perform one or more operations or functions. The modulesreferred to herein may, in some example embodiments, compriseprocessor-implemented modules.

Similarly, the methods or routines described herein may be at leastpartially processor-implemented. For example, at least some of theoperations of a method may be performed by one or more processors orprocessor-implemented hardware modules. The performance of certain ofthe operations may be distributed among the one or more processors, notonly residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number ofmachines. In some example embodiments, the processor or processors maybe located in a single location (e.g., within a home environment, anoffice environment or as a server farm), while in other embodiments theprocessors may be distributed across a number of locations.

The one or more processors may also operate to support performance ofthe relevant operations in a “cloud computing” environment or as a“software as a service” (SaaS). For example, at least some of theoperations may be performed by a group of computers (as examples ofmachines including processors), these operations being accessible via anetwork (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces(e.g., application program interfaces (APIs)).

The performance of certain of the operations may be distributed amongthe one or more processors, not only residing within a single machine,but deployed across a number of machines. In some example embodiments,the one or more processors or processor-implemented modules may belocated in a single geographic location (e.g., within a homeenvironment, an office environment, or a server farm). In other exampleembodiments, the one or more processors or processor-implemented modulesmay be distributed across a number of geographic locations.

Some portions of this specification are presented in terms of algorithmsor symbolic representations of operations on data stored as bits orbinary digital signals within a machine memory (e.g., a computermemory). These algorithms or symbolic representations are examples oftechniques used by those of ordinary skill in the data processing artsto convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. Asused herein, an “algorithm” is a self-consistent sequence of operationsor similar processing leading to a desired result. In this context,algorithms and operations involve physical manipulation of physicalquantities. Typically, but not necessarily, such quantities may take theform of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of beingstored, accessed, transferred, combined, compared, or otherwisemanipulated by a machine. It is convenient at times, principally forreasons of common usage, to refer to such signals using words such as“data,” “content,” “bits,” “values,” “elements,” “symbols,”“characters,” “terms,” “numbers,” “numerals,” or the like. These words,however, are merely convenient labels and are to be associated withappropriate physical quantities.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, discussions herein using wordssuch as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,”“presenting,” “displaying,” or the like may refer to actions orprocesses of a machine (e.g., a computer) that manipulates or transformsdata represented as physical (e.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical)quantities within one or more memories (e.g., volatile memory,non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof), registers, or othermachine components that receive, store, transmit, or displayinformation.

As used herein any reference to “some embodiments” or “an embodiment”means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in some embodiments” invarious places in the specification are not necessarily all referring tothe same embodiment.

Some embodiments may be described using the expression “coupled” and“connected” along with their derivatives. For example, some embodimentsmay be described using the term “coupled” to indicate that two or moreelements are in direct physical or electrical contact. The term“coupled,” however, may also mean that two or more elements are not indirect contact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interactwith each other. The embodiments are not limited in this context.

Further, the figures depict preferred embodiments of a system forestimating vehicle speed and hence driving behavior using accelerometerdata during periods of intermittent GPS for purposes of illustrationonly. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the followingdiscussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methodsillustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principlesdescribed herein.

Upon reading this disclosure, those of skill in the art will appreciatestill additional alternative structural and functional designs for asystem and a process for estimating vehicle speed and hence drivingbehavior using accelerometer data during periods of intermittent GPSthrough the disclosed principles herein. Thus, while particularembodiments and applications have been illustrated and described, it isto be understood that the disclosed embodiments are not limited to theprecise construction and components disclosed herein. Variousmodifications, changes and variations, which will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art, may be made in the arrangement, operation anddetails of the method and apparatus disclosed herein without departingfrom the spirit and scope defined in the appended claims.

The patent claims at the end of this patent application are not intendedto be construed under 35 U.S.C. §112(f) unless traditionalmeans-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as “means for”or “step for” language being explicitly recited in the claim(s).

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for determiningvehicle speed during periods of intermittent GPS, the method comprising:receiving, via a computer network, one or more of GPS data oraccelerometer data corresponding to a driving session of a vehicle; ifGPS data is received, determining, by one or more processors, if the GPSdata is available or accurate for the entire driving session;determining, by one or more processors, one or more time periods duringthe driving session when the GPS data is not available or accurate; foreach of the one or more time periods when the GPS data is determined tobe unavailable or inaccurate, analyzing, by one or more processors, theaccelerometer data received during that period to determine idlingpoints when the vehicle is not moving; dividing, by one or moreprocessors, each of the one or more time periods into two or moresegments based on the determined idling points for each time period; foreach of the two or more segments in each of the one or more timeperiods: determining, by one or more processors, a speed of the vehicleat one or more boundary points of each of the two or more segments;analyzing, by one or more processors, the accelerometer data todetermine an acceleration of the vehicle in the longitudinal directionfor points when the vehicle is moving; and calculating, by one or moreprocessors, a speed of the vehicle for the points when the vehicle ismoving based on the determined acceleration of the vehicle at the pointswhen the vehicle is moving and the speed of the vehicle at the one ormore boundary points of each of the two or more segments; anddetermining, by one or more processors, a driving behavior based on atleast the calculated speed of the vehicle at the points when the vehicleis moving in each of the two or more segments in each of the one or moretime periods when the GPS data is not available or accurate.
 2. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: if no GPSdata is received, analyzing, by one or more processors, theaccelerometer data received during the entire driving session todetermine idling points when the vehicle is not moving; dividing, by oneor more processors, the driving session into two or more segments basedon the determined idling points; and for each of the two or moresegments: determining, by one or more processors, a speed of the vehicleat one or more boundary points of each of the two or more segments;analyzing, by one or more processors, the accelerometer data todetermine an acceleration of the vehicle in the longitudinal directionfor points when the vehicle is moving; and calculating, by one or moreprocessors, a speed of the vehicle for the points when the vehicle ismoving based on the determined acceleration of the vehicle at pointswhen the vehicle is moving and the speed of the vehicle at the one ormore boundary points of each of the two or more segments.
 3. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining,by one or more processors, a vehicle insurance risk using at least thecalculated speed of the vehicle at the points when the vehicle is movingin each of the two or more segments in each of the one or more timeperiods when the GPS data is not available or accurate.
 4. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein dividing each of the oneor more time periods into two or more segments based on the determinedidling points includes having the idling points form one or more of theboundary points for each of the two or more segments.
 5. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer datais derived from an accelerometer sensor in a mobile device connected tothe vehicle that measures the acceleration of the vehicle.
 6. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein calculating the speed ofthe vehicle for the points when the vehicle is moving in each of the twoor more segments includes calculating the speed of the vehicle based onthe acceleration of the vehicle at the points when the vehicle is movingand the speed of the vehicle at one or more of the boundary points.
 7. Anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium includingcomputer-readable instructions to be executed on one or more processorsof a computing device for determining vehicle speed during periods ofintermittent GPS, the instructions when executed causing the one or moreprocessors to: receive, via a computer network, one or more of GPS dataor accelerometer data corresponding to a driving session of a vehicle;if GPS data is received, determine if the GPS data is available oraccurate for the entire driving session; determine one or more timeperiods during the driving session when the GPS data is not available oraccurate; for each of the one or more time periods when the GPS data isdetermined to be unavailable or inaccurate, analyze the accelerometerdata received during that period to determine idling points when thevehicle is not moving; divide each of the one or more time periods intotwo or more segments based on the determined idling points for each timeperiod; for each of the two or more segments in each of the one or moretime periods: determine a speed of the vehicle at one or more boundarypoints of each of the two or more segments; analyze the accelerometerdata to determine an acceleration of the vehicle in the longitudinaldirection for points when the vehicle is moving; and calculate a speedof the vehicle for the points when the vehicle is moving based on theacceleration of the vehicle at the points when the vehicle is moving andthe speed of the vehicle at the one or more boundary points of each ofthe two or more segments; and determine a driving behavior based on atleast the calculated speed of the vehicle at the points when the vehicleis moving in each of the two or more segments in each of the one or moretime periods when the GPS data is not available or accurate.
 8. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein theinstructions to calculate the speed of the vehicle for the points whenthe vehicle is moving in each of the two or more segments includecalculating the speed of the vehicle based on the acceleration of thevehicle at the points when the vehicle is moving and the speed of thevehicle at one or more of the boundary points.
 9. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprisinginstructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:if no GPS data is received, analyze the accelerometer data receivedduring the entire driving session to determine idling points when thevehicle is not moving; divide the driving session into two or moresegments based on the determined idling points; and for each of the twoor more segments: determine a speed of the vehicle at one or moreboundary points of each of the two or more segments; analyze theaccelerometer data to determine an acceleration of the vehicle in thelongitudinal direction for points when the vehicle is moving; andcalculate a speed of the vehicle for the points when the vehicle ismoving based on the determined acceleration of the vehicle at the pointswhen the vehicle is moving and the speed of the vehicle at the one ormore boundary points of each of the two or more segments.
 10. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, furthercomprising instructions that, when executed, cause the one or moreprocessors to determine a vehicle insurance risk using at least thecalculated speed of the vehicle at the points when the vehicle is movingin each of the two or more segments in each of the one or more timeperiods when the GPS data is not available or accurate.
 11. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein theinstructions to divide each of the one or more time periods into two ormore segments based on the determined idling points include having theidling points form one or more of the boundary points for each of thetwo or more segments.
 12. A system for determining vehicle speed duringperiods of intermittent GPS, the system comprising: a data repository;and a server, including a memory having instructions for execution onone or more processors, wherein the instructions, when executed by theone or more processors, cause the server to: receive, via a computernetwork, one or more of GPS data or accelerometer data corresponding toa driving session of a vehicle; store any received GPS data oraccelerometer data in the data repository; if GPS data is received,determine if the GPS data is available or accurate for the entiredriving session; determine one or more time periods during the drivingsession when the GPS data is not available or accurate; for each of theone or more time periods when the GPS data is determined to beunavailable or inaccurate, analyze the accelerometer data receivedduring that period to determine idling points when the vehicle is notmoving; divide each of the one or more time periods into two or moresegments based on the determined idling points for each time period; foreach of the two or more segments in each of the one or more timeperiods: determine a speed of the vehicle at one or more boundary pointsof each of the two or more segments; analyze the accelerometer data todetermine an acceleration of the vehicle in the longitudinal directionfor points when the vehicle is moving; and calculate a speed of thevehicle for the points when the vehicle is moving based on theacceleration of the vehicle at the points when the vehicle is moving andthe speed of the vehicle at the one or more boundary points of each ofthe two or more segments; and determine a driving behavior based on atleast the calculated speed of the vehicle at the points when the vehicleis moving in each of the two or more segments in each of the one or moretime periods when the GPS data is not available or accurate.
 13. Thesystem of claim 12, wherein the instructions of the server, whenexecuted by the one or more processors to calculate the speed of thevehicle for the points when the vehicle is moving in each of the two ormore segments further include instructions to calculate the speed of thevehicle based on the acceleration of the vehicle at the points when thevehicle is moving and the speed of the vehicle at one or more of theboundary points.
 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions ofthe server, when executed by the one or more processors to divide eachof the one or more time periods into two or more segments based on thedetermined idling points further include instructions to have the idlingpoints form one or more of the boundary points for each of the two ormore segments.
 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions ofthe server, when executed by the one or more processors, further causethe server to: if no GPS data is received, analyze the accelerometerdata received during the entire driving session to determine idlingpoints when the vehicle is not moving; divide the driving session intotwo or more segments based on the determined idling points; and for eachof the two or more segments: determine a speed of the vehicle at one ormore boundary points of each of the two or more segments; analyze theaccelerometer data to determine an acceleration of the vehicle in thelongitudinal direction for points when the vehicle is moving; andcalculate a speed of the vehicle for the points when the vehicle ismoving based on the determined acceleration of the vehicle at the pointswhen the vehicle is moving and the speed of the vehicle at the one ormore boundary points of each of the two or more segments.
 16. The systemof claim 12, wherein the instructions of the server, when executed bythe one or more processors, further cause the server to determine avehicle insurance risk using at least the calculated speed of thevehicle at the points when the vehicle is moving in each of the two ormore segments in each of the one or more time periods when the GPS datais not available or accurate.